


We Run on Gasoline

by spirichor (orphan_account)



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-08
Updated: 2015-11-05
Packaged: 2018-04-19 17:44:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4755350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/spirichor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was thirteen when he learned that the only way to get what you wanted was on your knees.</p><p>A/U: Ian lives with Monica and whatever boyfriend she has at the time. When he meets Mickey, he sees a world that can help him escape from his own.</p><p>// Titles come from Halsey lyrics.</p><p>--- ABANDONED ---</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Fucking Hurricane

Ian Gallagher was thirteen when the truth set in. He was thirteen when he learned that the only way to get what you wanted was on your knees. His mom wasn't perfect, but they had a nice life the way things were going. When things got bad, she would run and find some rich guy and suck him off in exchange for room and board. When Ian was fourteen, he learned that sometimes he'd have to do his own part in making sure they were taken care of. If it meant sucking dick or letting old men touch him however they wanted to make sure that Ian and his mother had a roof over their heads and food in their bellies, then Ian would do it.

The current male in their lives was a man named Callum Ashleigh who liked both of them. Ian had the pleasure of his company during the night while his mother had his company during the day. Ian didn't like it, but they did what they had to.

At seventeen years old, Ian had gotten a job at a club called Wonderland. Callum hated it, because Ian was gone all night, but Ian's mother thought it was great. She often stopped by to watch. Callum came by as well, but Ian was sure that his intentions weren't pride, but possession. Still, when Ian saw Callum watching him on stage, he would make sure to turn towards the older man. It was the least he could do.

One night while Ian was working, he didn't see any sign of Callum or his mother, which meant he could enjoy himself.

"Ian!" One of the bouncers, or Keepers as Ian liked to refer to them, held out their hand to help him down. "August has someone for you." Ian frowned, but nodded. August was the manager who told them what to do and when to do it. You didn't disobey him if you wanted to keep your job. He let his keeper lead him over to where a private party was taking place. Ian took in a deep breath and plastered on his winning smile.

"Someone call for a dance?" He asked, leaning against the booth.

* * *

"Gallagher!" Mickey yelled as he stepped towards said boy. "Gallagher, Gallagher." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I believe you owe me money."

"Hey, Mickey." Gallagher replied. "I heard your dad got out on parole again."

Mickey nodded. "Yep. And he's ready for his money now."

Gallagher winced. "Can I get it to you next week? We're kinda tight on money this week. Carl needed medicine which pretty much wiped us out."

One of Mickey's brothers, who was standing behind him, laughed.

"Alright, Gallagher. Get it to us next week or we start breaking kneecaps."

Gallagher saluted them. "Right! Will mark that down." He handed the joint he was currently smoking over to Mickey. "How's your sister?" He asked. Mickey took the joint and took a hit off it.

"She's alright. Got a new boyfriend a few weeks ago." Mickey said, handing the joint back.

"He a good one?" Mickey looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"You got the hots for my sister, Gallagher?" He asked.

Gallagher laughed. "Nah, she's just a good friend. Making sure that she's not getting involved with any assholes this time."

Mickey shook his head with a chuckle. "Hey, we're going to pick her up at her job. Coming with?" Gallagher put out the joint he had in his hand and nodded.

"Sure, why not." The four boys headed towards a club called Wonderland. Mickey thought it looked pretty gay, but his sister, Mandy, worked there as a bartender. She had told him about a guy that she thought was cute and wanted him to check him out sometime.

It wasn't really a secret that Mickey was gay. Not to his siblings at least. They all kept it really quiet from their father, Terry. They didn't mind what Mickey did in his spare time, just as long as he could kick some ass when they needed him.

They were ushered in as soon as they were spotted. Mickey was well known around Wonderland, especially after Mandy started working there. He made sure no one touched her without her permission. Wonderland catered to anyone who had money, men and women. People of all genders could work there as long as they were hot. As soon as Mandy spotted her brothers, she waved them over and fixed them a drink.

"Hey! You guys are early." Mickey pointed to Gallagher.

"Yeah, he didn't have the money so we got done early." He said. Mandy frowned but didn't press the matter. She glanced around the club and pointed towards someone.

"There's the guy I was talking about, Mickey. His name's Ian." Mickey turned around and froze when he saw red hair standing out among the crowd.

"Wait, I know him!" Gallagher said at Mickey's side. He stood up and walked over to where the redhead was. "Ian!" Gallagher greeted. The two exchanged friendly words and Gallagher led him over. The closer he got, the more attracted Mickey was to him.

"Guys, this is Ian." Gallagher introduced. The three brothers nodded, waiting for an explanation. "He's my brother."

* * *

Ian took his break so that he could talk to Lip and Lip's friends. He remembered the day he'd been ripped from his siblings clearly. Frank, Ian's father, had disappeared, leaving him, Lip, and their sister Fiona alone. Ian had been sick and when they finally got the clinic, CPS had taken him away and given him to his biological father, Clayton. Ian had lived with him for a month before Clayton's wife wanted him gone. They contacted Ian's mother and she took him in. They'd been together since then.

Ian had always hated these fleeting visits that he had with his family. When he saw Lip or Fiona, his heart hurt and he hated himself for how low he'd gone. Even if it was for survival. Still, he also loved the moments when he felt comfort, so he let himself lean against Lip's shoulder. His older brother and protector.

"How's Fiona doing?" Ian asked, quietly. He was always quiet, not wanting to draw attention to himself. Lip smiled.

"She's doing alright. She has a new boyfriend that's been hanging around. Debbie, Carl, and Liam are alright too." Ian nodded.

Lip motioned to the others. "You know Mandy, these are her brothers, Iggy, Joey, and Mickey." Ian waved to them, but his eyes paused on Mickey. Mandy had told him about her older brother and had been pushing the two to meet for awhile. Iggy and Joey disappeared into the crowd to dance with some girls. Lip had done the same, spotting some girl in the crowd that he wanted to talk to in particular.

Ian turned to Mandy. "Time?" He asked. She glanced at her watch.

"1 am."

Ian cursed under his breath and turned to Mickey. "So, we doing this or not?"

Mickey was taken aback. "Doing what?"

Ian rolled his eyes. "I don't have time for this. Do you want me to suck you off or not?"

Mandy stifled a laugh behind her fist. "Ian, maybe a little more subtle next time." She suggested.

Ian stared at her. "Subtlety is for people with time on their hands, which I don't have. You wanted me to get your brother laid, didn't you? Well, here I am." Mickey shot a look at his sister who held her hands up in defense. "So, do I need to stick around for another hour while you get enough alcohol in your system to convince yourself that it's okay to have sex with guys? Or do you want to go into one of the private rooms for a little alone time?"

Ian didn't like to beat around the bush. It wasted time.

Mickey shrugged and let Ian lead him into one of the rooms where Ian got down on his knees and hated himself once again.

* * *

Ian knew the way home at this point. They had been staying at Callum's place for three years now. If he moved, they did too. Callum liked having the two at his beck and call. Ian knew his mom was always too strung out to care for herself, and Ian was too worried about being thrown on the streets and seeing her spiral downward into madness again. He would do anything to make sure his mom was taken care of. If that included letting Callum sneak into his bed every night or shove his hand down Ian's pants in the kitchen once a day, then that was just the price of comfort and security.

Ian walked into the dark house at about 2:30 am, later than usual. Most of the time he was home by 2. If only he hadn't agreed to suck of Mandy's brother. The house was quiet and he assumed that his mom and Callum were in bed upstairs. He locked the door behind him and headed into the kitchen to get something to drink. He jumped when the lights turned on but didn't turn around. He closed his eyes when he felt someone behind him, wrapping their arms around his waist.

"You're late." Callum said into his ear, licking the side of his neck. Ian tilted his head back to allow better access as Callum's hand traveled into his jeans. He closed his eyes as Callum gripped him and pushed him into the counter so that he was pinned. Even if his mom caught them, she would just laugh it off. Ian had long gotten used to his mom not caring if someone was messing with him. Ian gripped the counter, trying not to make a sound as Callum stroked him. He hated it and Callum knew it. Ian would've rather have been on his knees sucking the older man off than allowing him to get Ian off. Like he was a willing participant in this.

When he finally came, he bit his lip to keep from crying out. Callum released him and washed his hands in the sink. Ian glared at him the entire time.

"Next time, get home at 2 am." Callum warned. Ian turned around to lean his back against the counter as Callum cornered him, placing his hands on either side of Ian. He sniffed the air. "You smell."

Ian tilted his head to the side. "Sorry, I spent the entire night getting rubbed against by sweaty and creepy old men and a creepier man just made me cum in my pants." Ian said. Callum slapped his cheek, not rough but enough to sting.

"Watch yourself, Ian. We wouldn't want your mom to have another accident." Ian looked behind him to the kitchen floor. Where his mother had slit her wrists one night a few months ago. Callum had refused to give her the medication she needed as punishment for Ian disobeying him. Callum sniffed his breath and wrinkled his nose. "Your breath stinks too. Sucking guys off again?"

Ian looked away from his tormentor who gripped his hips tight and pulled him close.

"Just remember that it's me who keeps your mom taking her meds and keeps a roof over your head." He said, digging his nails into Ian's hips. Ian closed his eyes and gritted his teeth in pain. "I don't care who you fuck or suck, but you better come back by 2 am next time or your mom may just have another accident."

Ian nodded. "Okay. I understand."

Callum moved his hand to grab Ian's ass, squeezing it. "Good boy." He said. He let go of Ian and turned to leave the kitchen.

"Callum!" Ian started. The older man turned to him. "Can I go visit my family this weekend? My half-family, I mean. My sisters and brothers." Callum thought for a moment.

"Get home by 2 every night and meet me in the kitchen when you do and sure." Ian nodded. He'd do anything to see his family at this point. Once Callum was heading back upstairs, Ian got a beer out of the fridge and headed up to his room. He didn't lock the door. There was no point in it.

Instead, he sat on his bed and texted his brother.

 **IAN:** _Can I stay the weekend with you guys?_

It took a few minutes, but Lip replied.

 **LIP:** _Absolutely. We'll set you up a bed._

 **IAN:** _Thanks :)_

Ian set his phone on his bedside table and headed into the bathroom to shower. To wash away the shame and disgust that he felt for himself. Normal families didn't have to deal with this, right? He knew the other Gallaghers didn't. No matter what, they never would resort to using their bodies to get by. They stole, cheated, and scammed. But they never used their bodies. Unfortunately, his body was all that Ian had.

Ian closed his eyes as he laid in bed, his back towards the door. His dreams were haunted by images of old men groping and women sobbing.

* * *

"Ian." Ian's eyes shot open when he heard his name being said. He turned over and saw Callum standing in the doorway to his room, fixing his tie. "Your mom won't get out of bed and I have to go to work." Ian nodded, swinging his legs off of the bed and standing up. He stretched and waited for Callum to leave before he got dressed and headed into Callum and his mom's bedroom. He frowned when he saw her facing the wall and staring into space.

"Mom? It's Ian." Without waiting for an invitation, Ian walked over to the other side of the bed and kneeled down so that he was eye level with her. "Mom? Have you been taking your pills?" He asked.

She shook her head slowly. Ian bit his lip and headed downstairs. Callum was standing in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee.

"She having one of her moods?" Ian looked at him, but didn't respond beyond that as he went to the counter where they put their medications. He searched for the pills that his mother had to take every morning. He felt Callum come up behind him, but he didn't pay any mind to him. He was intent on finding his mother's pills. When he found them all, he set them on the counter. When he stood up again, Callum had him trapped. Ian tensed up.

"I can't right now, Callum." He said. "I- I have to get these pills to my mom and then I have to go to work." He explained. "You know that." Callum's hands were trailing down the sides of Ian's body, causing his brain to go fuzzy. "Please.. Let me get these pills to her. She needs them." He hated begging, but he hated the way his mom looked and acted when she didn't have her pills more.

Callum laughed. "Get on your knees and you can give her the pills."

Something dark settled in Ian's stomach as he obeyed, dropping to his knees.

When he was done, he took the pills and a glass of water up to his mom. He handed them both to her.

"Here, take these." He said. She smiled at him and did as she was told. After she set the glass down on the table, she raised her hand to stroke his cheek.

"My beautiful baby boy." She said. Ian smiled at her. "I'm so sorry."

Ian shook his head and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Mom. Take care of yourself today. I love you more than air." She grinned at him, tired, and nodded.

Ian headed back into his room and got ready for his second job. It wasn't like he really needed either job, but he relished any chance he had to get out of the house.

* * *

 

His second job was at a local mini-mart called Kash & Grab. There was also another reason that Ian had for working there. The owner, Kash, was Ian's lover. He had, at first, just sucked him off for the job but they had graduated into actually having sex in the stock-room when no one was in the store. When Ian walked in early morning, before the store opened, all he had to do was look at Kash and start towards the stock-room and the older man would follow. It was practically the only thing Ian had any control over in his life anymore. At least he had a choice in this.

Ian returned to the cash register as Kash took care of some business with his wife upstairs. He looked up when he heard the bell ring.

He recognized the guy standing there, but he couldn't figure out from where. He watched the other boy stalk through the aisles and even saw him shove things into his pockets. He was one of those guys. As he came around the corner, it hit Ian.

"Mickey, right?" He asked. Mickey froze at hearing his voice. He paused and turned towards him.

"You're Mandy's friend, yeah?" Mickey asked. Ian nodded. "The fuck you doing here?"

"I work here." Ian leaned back in the chair he was occupying as he watched Mickey.

"I thought you worked at that club."

Ian shrugged. "I have two jobs." He looked at the items that Mickey had - and the ones he shoved in his pockets. "Fifty-two, ninety-five." He said, smirking at the older boy. Mickey raised an eyebrow and laughed.

"Nah, Towel-head and I got a deal worked out. He lets me take whatever I want and I don't shoot him in the face." Ian shot up to respond, but Mickey was out the door before he could get a word in.

Kash came down the stairs. "Just ignore him, Ian. He's not worth the time. The Milkoviches are dangerous. He wasn't joking about shooting you in the face."

Ian didn't turn to his employer. He watched the door with a glare, as if Mickey would come back in for a verbal lashing from Ian.

* * *

The weekend couldn't come fast enough. Ian made sure his mom was well taken care of and that he had everything he'd need for an entire weekend away from Callum. The only thing that ruined it was that Callum had the idea to give Ian a giant hickey on his hip.

He knocked on the door and shifted his bag over his shoulder. When the door opened and Ian saw Fiona he smiled.

"Ian!" Fiona's eyes filled with tears as she enveloped him in a hug. In that moment, all of his problems seemed to melt away. He let his older sister hold him and take everything away. He was home.


	2. This is Not a Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the awesome response, everyone! I love getting your feedback and I try to reply to every comment I see.

Lip and Fiona had a routine at this point. Ian came to stay with them a few times a year and it was always the same to the point that Carl and Debbie knew that they wouldn't find Lip in his room when Ian was there. No, the three eldest Gallaghers would pile into Fiona's room and sleep in her bed together. It had started the first time Ian had stayed over. Lip curled up behind him with his arms around his brother's waist and Fiona on Ian's other side with her hand covering his. It was their way to stay connected to their brother before he was taken from them again. Gallaghers were a family and family stuck together.

The night Ian came to stay with them, Fiona couldn't sleep. She could never sleep on the first night, terrified that she'd wake up and it would be a dream. The room was dark but she could see that Lip was also having trouble sleeping. Ian, however, was fast asleep. Protected.

"I haven't forgiven Frank." Fiona admitted. Lip looked at her. "I remember it clearly. They had just gotten Ian's fever down and they said that our uncle was coming to pick him up. I was six, I didn't understand that they were just coming for Ian and I didn't know why. They said they'd talked to Frank about it, but who can be sure. I thought that Uncle Clayton was coming to pick all of us up until Frank got his shit together."

Lip reached over and covered her hand, trying to comfort her.

"So, when he came, I didn't understand why everyone was trying to take Ian from my arms. I figured I could hold him the way home. I didn't understand that they were trying to get me to let go so they could take him. When I figured it out, I started screaming." Tears welled up in Fiona's eyes. "Ian was screaming, you were screaming. I was physically held back by two nurses while another wrestled Ian from me. I told them that they couldn't take him, but they didn't listen. They just left me and you there in the Clinic waiting room. Screaming and crying."

She raised her hand to wipe her eyes.

"That was the first time I ever hit Frank. Six years old and I decked him. He asked me for cash. Didn't ask where Ian went."

"Yeah, didn't he ask if we had sold him?"

Fiona felt disgusted. "Yeah. He asked if we sold him and how much we sold him for." She brushed the stray hair out of Ian's face. He still didn't wake up. "I hit him and kicked him and screamed at him for an hour. I still haven't forgiven him for it."

Lip nodded. "That's why you get so pissed off when he says anything about Ian?" Fiona's eyes shot up to look at him. "I know he talks about Ian sometimes when he's drunk."

Fiona shrugged, "I don't know if it's guilt or just rubbing it in my face. He never liked Ian. Even when Ian was a baby, Frank always found some kind of fault with him. Probably thinks that it's Ian's fault he was taken away. Shouldn't have gotten sick."

Lip frowned. "Don't think about that, Fiona. We've got Ian back for the weekend. Let's enjoy it."

Fiona nodded, biting her lip to keep her sobs at bay. "I miss him. He's my baby. Even before Debbie and Carl and Liam. Ian was the baby and he was taken from us."

Lip watched her with sad eyes before he looked Ian over. He frowned when he saw something dark peeking out from underneath Ian's shirt. He sat up, being careful not to disturb his little brother.

"Fiona, what's that look like to you?" He asked, lifting Ian's shirt a bit.

Fiona looked over and shook her head. "That a bruise? Some asshole using him as punching bag?" She traced her finger over it, gently, but Ian winced in his sleep.

Lip and Fiona stared at each other with equally worried expressions before they silently decided that it was a conversation for daylight hours. Fiona clasped her hand over Ian's while Lip tightened his grip around Ian's waist.

* * *

The next morning, Fiona untangled herself from her brothers. She smiled when she saw Carl laying on the floor in front of the bed and Debbie sleeping beside him, Liam between them. While her youngest siblings didn't have the history that Fiona and Lip had with Ian, she knew that they had also taken to sneaking into her room and sleeping in there so that they could be near him.

She smiled and headed downstairs to make coffee and breakfast. She rolled her eyes when she saw a figure lying on the couch. She didn't have the time or energy to deal with Frank. Not with Ian there. The last time Frank and Ian had been in the same room, Frank had hit him. Well, he pretty much did that every time. Like it was payback for Frank having to raise his brother's kid.

She grabbed a pillow off of the floor and threw it at her father. "Get up, Frank. You can't stay here." She ordered. He waved his arm to attack whoever was trying to wake him up. "Go stay at Sheila's or something because you're not staying here." She tried as much as she could to keep Frank away from Ian, for her brother's sake.

"It's my house!" Fiona threw a glance towards the stairs. She didn't want him to wake up her siblings.

"Yeah, and you're not wanted here. Out!" She ordered. She tried to drag him up, but he was too heavy for her. Luckily, Lip came downstairs at that moment. He rubbed his eyes and saw what she was trying to do. Without even asking, Lip helped her shove their dad outside the door.

Once that problem was taking care of, the two went into the kitchen to get started on their mornings.

"Any plans today?" Fiona asked.

Lip shrugged. "I was thinking of taking Ian with me to take care of something." He said. When Fiona raised her eyebrow at him, Lip shook his head. "Frank owes Terry Milkovich some money. His sons came after me the other day and threatened to break my knee caps if we didn't pay them back."

"God, Frank." Fiona said, shaking her head as she poured a cup of coffee. "Just, be careful, alright? If anyone tries to touch him, you-"

Lip smiled. "No one's gonna mess with Ian. He can take care of himself and if he can't, I can take care of both of us." Fiona smiled and kissed his forehead.

"Let's get the monsters up."

* * *

Ian wouldn't say he was glad to get out of the Gallagher house, but he seemed to always forgot just how crazy his family was. He loved them, but it was a huge change to the quiet he had become accustomed to over the years. Ian walked beside Lip as the two brothers headed towards the Milkovich house. Ian didn't know exactly why they were going there, but he enjoyed spending time with his older brother any chance he got.

He and Lip were pretty much best friends. Lip was the main reason that Ian never let his phone get turned off or stolen. The two brothers were close, but Ian didn't think he was ever going to tell his brother what he did to survive.

"Gallagher!" Ian looked up when he heard a voice call their name. Lip gripped Ian's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. "You have the money?" Ian raised an eyebrow when he saw Mickey walking over to them. His brothers were nowhere to be seen.

Lip nodded and dug into his pocket for the money. He handed it over. "Yep. 500 in cash." Mickey counted it and grinned.

"Thanks, Gallagher." Ian looked between the two. "The fuck you doing here?"

Lip took charge. "Ian's staying the weekend. Hey, is Mandy home?" As if on cue, Mandy came outside. She smiled at Lip and motioned with her head for him to come in. Lip looked at Ian for his approval and when Ian nodded, Lip headed into the house.

"Are they together?" Ian asked. Mickey shrugged.

"Who the fuck knows."

Ian thought for a moment, then looked at Mickey.

"You need to leave Kash alone."

Mickey looked at him incredulously. "Excuse me?"

"Kash is too scared to do anything about you stealing from him, but I'm not."

Mickey laughed. "How about this? You can suck my dick whenever I want and I'll leave towel-head alone."

And there it was, Ian's never ending need to take care of the people he cared about. Kash happened to be one of them. The one that always needed his help was his mom and he would do anything for her. If this could help Kash, then Ian would do it. He would hate himself, but it kept Kash safe, in a way.

"Okay."

Mickey stared at him, not moving. "You're serious?"

Ian shrugged. "Will you leave Kash alone?"

Mickey continued to stare at him. "I was joking. No, I'm not going to leave him alone, he's the best part of my day."

Ian let out a sigh. "He's a good guy and doesn't deserve to have you harassing him every day."

Mickey laughed and turned around, heading into the house.

Ian wasn't exactly sure how it happened. One minute, he was following Mickey inside to yell at him, the next they were ripping off their clothes to fuck.

They didn't talk about what happened, but Ian could see Mickey frown as he took in the marks on Ian's body as he dressed. Still, they were both quiet. Mickey, obviously, didn't want to talk about what happened and Ian was grateful for the silence. He didn't want to explain the marks because it would mean explaining everything else. And he was sure that if he started explaining, then things would get back to his family and things would just be worse than they already were.

He left Mickey's room and headed into the living room. Luckily, Lip seemed to be preoccupied with Mandy as the two were still in her room. Ian sat on the couch to wait for his brother. It took about ten minutes for Lip to emerge from Mandy's room, fixing his shirt. Mickey never left his own room.

"Ready to go?" Lip asked. Ian nodded and the two Gallaghers left, neither talking about what happened.

* * *

Ian was lucky to have someone like Kash looking out for him. He explained that he would be taking the weekend off because he was spending time with his family and Kash had agreed to let him off.

Unfortunately, August wasn't so caring. So Ian left the Gallagher house at 9 pm and headed for Wonderland.

He got dressed in the locker rooms and headed into the crowd. The night was pretty uneventful until he was leaving the club at 1 am, like always.

As he was walking down the sidewalk, he was pushed into the wall. He let out a gasp of pain as he collided with the stone. He turned around and his eyes widened when he saw the figure standing in front of him.

"Ca-Callum." He breathed out. This wasn't supposed to happen. They had a routine. When Ian was with his family, Callum wouldn't bother him. It was his only reprieve. "What are you doing here?"

Callum smiled and it made Ian sick to his stomach. "Just checking on you." Ian looked around for anyone that could help him. He was terrified. Any little thing could set Callum off and Ian knew he would make his life a living hell if given the chance. "Having fun?"

Ian looked back at the older man. He knew the response that was expected. But, somehow, just being near his family made him more confidant. "Absolutely. It's good to be near my family."

Anger flashed in Callum's eyes. He pushed Ian into the wall again, holding him there with his body. Ian closed his eyes as he felt Callum pressing against him.

"Hey!" Ian's eyes shot open when he heard someone yelling in their direction. Callum stepped away from him, holding his hands up in defense. Ian looked over and saw a familiar face. Mickey? Mickey walked over to them. "This guy bothering you, Gallagher?"

Ian didn't miss the warning look that Callum gave him. Ian crossed his arms over his chest. "No. He's my mom's boyfriend." Ian said. "He was just checking on me."

Mickey raised an eyebrow, but Ian didn't elaborate on that anymore.

"Well, my sister said you needed someone to walk you home." Lie. Ian could see that, but he was grateful anyways. He didn't argue.

"Yeah," Ian said. "It was nice to see you, Callum, but I should be getting back to the house. Tell Mom I'll see her in a few days." Ian felt Mickey grab his hand and pull him away from Callum, not sparing another word or another glance. He didn't wait for Callum's reply, but he knew that he got the message. That Ian would be back in a few days and to stop stalking him.

When they were a far enough distance away, Mickey let go of his hand.

"What the hell was that?" Mickey asked.

Ian wanted to tell someone what was truly going on, but he resisted the urge. It would just get around to his family and he couldn't let that happen. So, instead, Ian just shrugged.

"He's my mom's boyfriend. He was just checking on me." Ian replied. Mickey didn't look convinced.

"Just checking on you? It seemed like something else was going on."

Ian didn't reply to that and just kept walking.

"Gallagher!" Mickey yelled. He grabbed Ian's arm and forced him to turn around. "Was that guy bothering you?" Ian stared at him for a moment.

"No." He replied and hated himself for it. "Now, I need to get home, so leave me alone." Ian pulled his arm out of Mickey's grasp and walked away.

* * *

The weekend was over too quickly for Ian's liking. Sunday night, he said goodbye to his siblings. He hugged them all tightly and tried not to cry. He promised that he would see them as much as possible and that he'd call them at least once a week.

Then he got into Callum's car and the horror started again.

The entire ride back to Callum's home, the older man had his hand on Ian's thigh. It wasn't unusual. That was where Callum liked to rest his hand in the car. Ian didn't say a word the entire drive. But his mind was full of blue eyes and dark hair.

When he got back, he hugged his mother and then said he was going to bed. That was his ritual. He was always in a crippling depression when he returned from his siblings' home. He would stay in bed for as long as he could, except when he had to go to school. But even in school, he didn't speak and didn't participate in anything. His teachers were aware of the arrangement that Ian had with his family and they knew that when Ian was quiet, it was because he'd spent the weekend with his siblings.

One plus side to his depressive state was that Callum found him boring. Ian was left alone during that time. His mom would sometimes come in and check on him, but most of the time he was left with his thoughts. And his thoughts were dark and terrifying.

"Ian?" He didn't look up even when he heard his mother's voice. He stared at the wall, the blankets covering his shoulders. He saw his mother come into his field of vision. She frowned as she knelt in front of him. "Do you want to talk about it?" He didn't respond. Callum and his mom knew that Ian would get better in a few days. It just took him awhile to readjust to being back.

As she was leaving, Ian turned over. "Mom?" He asked, softly. She turned around and closed the door. She walked over to him and sat on the edge of his bed. "Why do you stay with him? With Callum, I mean."

His mom smiled sadly. "He takes good care of us. We'd be on the streets without him."

"Fiona and them would take us in. They love us." That was a lie. His siblings had never forgiven their mother for running out on them. Ian figured that they held a little resentment towards him for sticking by her. But they loved Ian.

"No, they've got enough to take care of." His mom explained. "Besides, Frank isn't a nice person."

"Neither is Callum." Ian said, pushing himself up so that he was sitting. "Callum is abusive and manipulative. He keeps your pills from you as punishment."

His heart sank when she waved him off. "He does that because he cares. He doesn't want me to get too medicated because he knows I don't like it. He'd never hurt me."

Ian stared at her. "He hurts me. If I ever told Fiona or Lip about what he does, he'd be dead."

"Don't say that! Callum is a good guy who takes care of us. He's loves me."

"The only reason he lets us stay here is because he has access to both of us. You know what he does to me is wrong."

His mom stood up. The look on her face told Ian that she'd heard enough. "You don't understand, Ian. I need him and he needs me."

"What about what I need? I'm your son. I need a mom who gives a damn about me. Who cares if some pervert is shoving his hand down my pants or-"

He couldn't finish his sentence as his mom had left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Ian pulled his knees to his chest and buried his face to keep himself from crying.

He lifted his head when he heard his phone ringing. Mandy was calling.

He cleared his throat and answered it. "Hey."

"Gallagher." It wasn't Mandy.

"Mickey?" Ian wiped his eyes as if the other boy could see him. "Why are you calling?"

"I just wanted to check on you. See how you were doing. You didn't look happy about that guy coming to see you."

Ian glanced at the door to his room. The urge to tell Mickey became overwhelming.

"I-" He heard footsteps coming towards his room. He recognized the heavy footfalls and he shook out of fear. "I have to go." He said. He didn't hang up the phone, but he set it on the bedside table. He turned it over so that Callum wouldn't see that it was on. Ian leaned back against the headboard as the door opened.

"You upset your mother, you know." Callum said as he entered the room. "She wasn't too happy about what you told her." Ian tried to make himself smaller as Callum sat on the edge of the bed. He put his hand on Ian's knee and gripped it.

"I didn't tell her anything she didn't already know." He said. The grip on his knee became tighter and Ian winced.

"You know what would happen if you told anyone, right?"

"You'd make sure my mom killed herself." Ian hated how emotionless his voice sounded. But he was tired of all of this. The secrets, the lies, the torment.

"Exactly. Our secret needs to stay a secret. Otherwise your mom would be locked up again and neither of us want that." Ian was sure that he was going to have a hand shaped bruise on his knee with the force that Callum was grabbing him. "Besides, what would your family think of you if they knew?"

That was it. The reason Ian never said a word about everything. He knew his family would hate him and think he was disgusting for what he did.

"They wouldn't be able to look at you. You know they'd never resort to doing that." It was said with such disgust that Ian looked away from Callum. "They'd hate you. They already hate you for the relationship you have with your mother. It would give them an even bigger reason and you know it." He hated how right the older man was.

Callum released his knee and patted his leg.

"Besides, without me you'd be on the streets again and you wouldn't want that. Your mom wouldn't have access to her medications and you'd have to worry about money and food to take care of yourselves. I take good care of you both." The hand traveled higher up his leg, causing Ian to tense up. "And all I ask is a few things in return. Have I ever hurt you?"

No. Not physically, at least. Callum never raised a hand to him. The only harm that came from him was gripping too tightly or the emotional trauma. He made sure to not leave too many marks on Ian though. Probably to keep himself from getting into trouble.

"Exactly." Callum said, as if he could read Ian's mind. "So, who was that boy?" Ian looked up. "That boy that interrupted us outside of your job."

Ian thought back to Mickey. A part of him hoped that the other boy was still listening.

"Brother of one of my co-workers. He seems to think I'm some charity case that needs looking out for. He was doing that all weekend, scaring off anyone that came close to me." He hated the words he was saying, but it was better than telling the truth. That Mickey was there to protect him from Callum because he recognized the signs of something not being right between the two. "He's no one." He lied.

"Good, because I'm sure you wouldn't want anything to happen to him. Or your siblings."

Of course not. Ian didn't want anyone to get hurt because of him.

"Which means you'll keep your mouth shut, right?" Ian nodded.

In an instant, Callum had his hand wrapped in Ian's hair, gripping it tightly and pulling his head back so that Ian was forced to look at him. "If that boy comes near you again, I'll make sure you regret it. I noticed how he looked at you and I don't like to share." Ian swallowed thickly. "Make sure you pass that message on to his sister because I don't want you talking to him ever again."

Ian nodded quickly. "Okay. I'll tell her."

"It was good talking to you, Ian." Callum patted his cheek and released him. Ian watched him leave and let out a breath when the door closed behind him. He picked up the phone and a tear fell from his cheek as he realized that Mickey hadn't hung up on him.

"Still there?" Ian asked when he put the phone to his ear.

"Shit, Gallagher." Mickey said. "That the asshole who was harassing you?"

"Yeah. He is my mom's boyfriend, but.." He trailed off as if saying it out loud would make things worse. And it would. "Look, you can't tell anyone what you heard. He likes to make my mom stop taking her meds so she'll go crazy. Last time he did he, she tried to kill herself." He explained.

"Why'd you let me know, then?"

Because I trust you. Because you protected me from him. Because I know what happens to Mandy.

"I don't know." He finally said.

"How long has it been happening?" Mickey asked.

"Few years. It's not a big deal though."

"Gallagher, you're seventeen. He's ancient. That's a crime. If you told the police, they'd-"

"I can't. My mom won't take her meds on her own she needs someone to convince her and-"

"Ian, that's not your responsibility. If she can't take care of herself then she needs to be in a hospital. You shouldn't have to put yourself in harm's way to protect her. She should be protecting you, if anything." Ian heard a sigh on the other end and a lighter being opened. "Fuck, man. If he touches you again, call me. Call Mandy. Call someone. You shouldn't have to worry about all of that."

"They'd hate me." Was all that Ian said.

"Just call me if he does it again. You can vent to me or Mandy about it if you need to."

Ian smiled. "Thanks, Mickey." He said.

"Yeah, don't mention it to anyone or I'll cut your fucking tongue out."

Before Ian could say another word, the other boy had hung up the phone.

Ian set it on the table beside him and laid down.

It was nearly an hour before he realized that Mickey had called him Ian.


	3. A Storm You're Starting Now

Ian found that he liked working at the Kash & Grab more than he liked working at Wonderland. At least at the store, no one bothered him that he didn't want near him. He didn't have to deal with groping hands or perverts. Ian was stocking some of the shelves while Kash was at the front being yelled at by his wife about the theft going on. Ian knew exactly who was stealing, but he wasn't about to start getting in the middle of their fight. Ian figured that things weren't going too well between them due to the frequency in which Kash wanted Ian to meet him in the backroom. Ian didn't mind too much. He liked having someone to help him take the edge off.

Ian looked up when the bell above the door rang. He bit his lip when he saw Mandy walk in. She caught his eye and headed straight over to him. She kissed him on the mouth and grinned.

"Come outside." She leaned up to whisper into his ear.

Linda raised an eyebrow at Ian as Mandy left the store without grabbing anything.

Ian shrugged. "Girlfriend." He said. It was the lie that he and Mandy used often during their school years and still used whenever they had unwanted attention. Linda nodded and shook her head.

"Go ahead." Linda said, dismissively. "I don't want witnesses when I murder my husband." Ian tossed Kash an apologetic look before leaving the store. As soon as he left the store, he was grabbed and pulled into the nearby alley. Mandy stood in front of him, her arms crossed over her chest. Mickey came from around the truck that was behind the store.

"Ian," Mandy started.

Ian looked between the two and frowned. His eyes settled on Mickey who wasn't making eye contact with him. "You told her." It wasn't an accusation. He had figured that Mickey would tell Mandy, but he hoped that Mandy would be the only one he told.

"She was wondering what was bothering you." Mickey defended. Ian leaned against the wall and looked between the siblings.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Mandy asked. "Did you think I would think less of you or something?" That had been exactly what he was thinking. That they would see what he did and think he was less of a person and more of something disgusting.

"You can't tell anyone." He replied. "He'll kill my mom and then everyone I care about." It wasn't true that Callum had outright threatened his family, but he had implied it multiple times. Callum knew where they lived and knew their routines. He could easily catch one of them on their way to school or on the way to the store or something. Things weren't simple and they never would be no matter how much Ian wished it would be.

"Ian, you need to talk to someone. This can't go on." Mandy pleaded.

"Will you tell them about you?" He countered. She shrank back, gripping her arm as if to cling onto reality. Ian instantly felt guilty but not enough to agree to what she was saying. "I can handle it, I can. He doesn't hurt me."

"Ian." Mickey spoke this time. "You're seventeen." He stressed again. "He's a pedophile. If anyone were to find out, he'd be beaten to death by practically everyone on the South-Side." Ian knew that was true. Callum knew it took which was why he was so careful to keep Ian under his thumb. "Fuck, I'd kill him myself if it wouldn't get me thrown back in jail." Ian looked up.

Mandy looked at her brother than at her best friend. She walked up to Ian and slammed her fists into his chest. It wasn't anger, but concern. Ian saw that from the tears in her eyes as she curled into him. He wrapped his arms around her and leaned his head against her.

"If I see any bruises on you, I'm calling Lip, okay?" She asked. Ian thought about telling her no. That he could handle it, but a selfish part of him liked the concern.

He nodded. "The same goes for you, Mandy. I see any bruises and I'm calling the police."

"If you see any bruises on her, you call me." Mickey interrupted. Ian looked up, but Mickey was looking at his sister. Mandy turned her head and smiled at her older brother. "Look, I meant what I said the other night. Call me if he tries anything with you." Mickey didn't make eye contact but Ian smiled anyways.

"Ian!" Mandy moved out of Ian's grasp when Linda came into view. "Get back inside and watch my idiot of a husband while I run some errands." She said. Ian nodded and waved to the Milkovich siblings.

"I'll walk you home after your shift." Mandy offered. Mickey didn't say a word, but Ian figured that was because of the threat Callum gave him. That he wasn't allowed to see or talk to Mickey. Mandy was okay to hang around. Ian hugged her again and kissed the top of her head before he headed back into the store. He didn't see either of the Milkovich's until the end of his shift.

After Linda left, Kash immediately came after him. While they fucked, all Ian could think about was Mickey Milkovich. Ian knew it was wrong to think of someone else, but he couldn't help it. Mickey was so confident and strong while Kash was weak and vulnerable. Ian hated it sometimes.

* * *

When he left the store, Mandy was waiting for him. She linked her arm in his and walked with him towards the L. She leaned against his shoulder the entire train ride and he leaned his head against her own. She didn't let go of him the entire time. Callum didn't live that far away, but it was far enough that they had to take the train. It was good to walk for Ian. He was able to clear his mind.

"I love you, you know that right?" Mandy asked, looking up at him as they walked down the sidewalk. Ian turned to her, but kept walking. He smiled.

"Of course I do. I love you too." Mandy smiled back at him and leaned against him again as they reached Callum's house. She held onto his hand as he reached the door and he turned to her, concerned. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"Do you think I could stay here tonight? My dad's in one of his moods." She was terrified, but trying not to show it. Ian nodded.

"I'll ask." He unlocked the door with his key and pulled her inside with him.

The house was dark, but it wasn't unusual. Ian suspected that Callum and his mom would be upstairs, sleeping. Mandy clung to his arm. He wasn't sure if she was afraid of the darkness or of letting Ian go. Like something would happen to him if she let go. He placed his hand over hers, comfortingly.

A light came on in the kitchen and Ian's heart fell to his stomach in fear. He glanced at Mandy and led her into the room. Callum stood at the counter, his back turned to them.

"You're late." Was all the older man said.

"Sorry. Uhm, Mandy walked me home and is going to stay the night." Callum turned away and his eyes narrowed on their interlocked arms. "She's having some trouble at home and needs a place to crash so she's going to sleep in my room." Before the older man could answer, Ian led Mandy upstairs, shutting the door to his room behind him. He knew that Callum would come knocking at some point, but he could enjoy the reprieve in the meantime.

Mandy let go of his hand and stripped down to her bra and panties. It was how they often slept when she would stay with him. Ian in his boxers and her in her underwear. She didn't worry about Ian doing anything to her in her sleep and Ian didn't worry about her doing anything to him. Besides, when Mandy stayed with him, he felt calmer.

Ian frowned when he saw a hand shaped bruise on her shoulder. Someone's fingers curled around towards her back and squeezed it tightly. Ian motioned to it as he sat down on his bed.

"He do that?" He asked. Mandy glanced at it before sitting next to him.

"The other night. Mickey knows about it." She leaned against Ian, wrapping her arms around his waist. "We're just worried about you, Ian. The guy's a creep and you know it." Ian leaned his head against hers, wrapping his arms around her shoulders to pull her closer.

"I know. But I don't have a choice."

"The things we do to survive." Mandy said, bitterly. Ian knew she was thinking of her father and the way he would sneak into her room at night because he thought she was her mother.

The two stayed like that for a few minutes before Mandy yawned and removed herself from Ian's grasp. She laid down and curled up on her side, motioning for Ian to join her. He stripped down to his boxers before crawling into bed with her.

Mandy kissed him gently, like she always did. "Love you, Ian." She said. Their kisses were always either on the mouth or on the cheek and always chaste. They never meant anything other than the fact that they loved each other and would do anything for each other. They were best friends above anything else.

Ian closed his eyes and fell asleep with his arms wrapped around Mandy's waist. She cuddled into his chest and fell asleep almost immediately.

* * *

When Ian woke up, Mandy was still sleeping. He untangled himself from her arms and got dressed, heading downstairs. He saw the doorway to Callum and his mom's room closed, which meant they were both asleep still. Ian quickly made breakfast for himself and Mandy before the other girl came downstairs, yawning, while wearing one of Ian's shirts. It hung over her small frame, covering her like a dress. She leaned over the counter and watched Ian with a smile.

"So, I was thinking.. Maybe we should go to the movies today?" It was Saturday, which meant Ian wouldn't have to work that day.

He shrugged. "Maybe. I'll have to see how my schedule is." He said, winking at her. She grinned.

Her grin disappeared almost instantly. Ian didn't have to turn around to see who entered the kitchen.

"Coffee's made." Ian said, motioning to the coffee pot over his shoulder. He kept eye contact with Mandy the entire time. She could tell him without words when Callum would appear behind him. He had a cup of coffee in his hands that he drank from to distract himself. Mandy watched Callum walk around the kitchen.

"Everything alright at home, Mandy?" Callum asked, moving to stand beside Ian. He didn't touch him, thankfully, but Ian knew it was just a matter of time.

Mandy sighed, pushing aside her disgust. She wasn't supposed to know, after all. "Not really. My dad's an ass when he's on one of his tirades." She said. "He likes to hit us when he drinks, so I like to stay away when he does." She glanced at Ian who was keeping himself busy with his coffee. "Ian's a godsend for helping me out." Mandy reached over the counter to squeeze Ian's hand. He looked up and smiled at her. His smile disappeared when Callum put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it.

"Yeah, Ian's a good kid." He said. Ian resisted the urge to vomit as Callum leaned down to whisper into his ear, "I need to talk to you upstairs." Callum left the room and headed upstairs, intending for Ian to follow.

Ian closed his eyes for a moment and then looked at Mandy. "I'll be right back." Mandy frowned and squeezed his hand again.

"I'll be in your room, come there afterwards, okay?"

She rounded the counter and kissed his cheek before taking her breakfast up to Ian's room.

Ian headed upstairs and into the guest room, where Callum was waiting. As soon as the door closed, Ian was pressed against the wall. The room was dark and it was hard to see. Which was why Callum liked it, it made Ian vulnerable as he couldn't see what was happening. Callum was in complete control.

Ian felt himself being pulled forward and he fell backwards against something soft. A bed. He swallowed his fear and let Callum crawl on top of him. A hand gripped his hair and yanked his head back, painfully.

"Did I say you could invite her over, Ian?" Ian bit his lip to keep from crying out as Callum's other hand unbuttoned his pants. "I don't believe I remember you asking for permission." Callum lifted Ian's hips to push his pants down. Ian let him. "What have you told her?"

"Nothing!" Ian hissed out. "She knows nothing. Her dad is abusive when he's drunk and she needed a place to hide from him." Callum's hand gripped his chin, forcing Ian to look at him.

"If anyone comes knocking at my door, you're going to regret it." Ian didn't doubt that. "I mean.. your friend is very beautiful." Ian's eyes widened as the words registered with him. "Especially with her staying with us."

"Leave her alone! You can do whatever the hell you want with me, but you don't touch her." Ian warned. Callum gripped his hair tighter, forcing his head back further. He was looking up at the ceiling now.

"I can do whatever the fuck I want with either of you. She won't go running to the cops either because she doesn't want anyone to know what her dad does to her." Callum hissed in his ear. "Or, I could find her brother. Pretend I'm you and call him over, I bet he'd love that. He'd love to have you, wouldn't he? I bet he would." Callum released his hair and used his hands to pin Ian's wrists to the mattress. "I think he'd love to come in and find you waiting for him." The grip was painful and bruising. Ian closed his eyes tightly in pain. "I bet he fantasizes about you now that you've fucked him. He probably thinks of you at night. I know I do." Callum leaned down and began biting and sucking at Ian's neck. "I think it would be fun to call him over and to see what he does with you. Or to make him watch as I claim you."

There was a knock at the door.

"Callum, are you in there? There's someone at the door for you." Ian's mom said. Ian's eyes shot open.

"Fuck!" Callum hissed out. He looked down at Ian. "If this is what I think it is, I will kill you." Ian nodded before Callum got off of him. The older man waited for Ian to redress before opening the door. He walked past Ian's mom and headed downstairs.

Ian pushed himself up to fix his clothing. His mom stared at him. The two locked eyes before his mom entered the room and shut the door behind her. She turned on the light and sat next to him on the bed. Ian watched her for any sign of a response.

She gripped her knees, obviously struggling with something.

"You're right, baby." She said, turning to Ian. His eyes widened. "We can't stay here anymore. Give me a few weeks to get some things taken care of and we're leaving. Start packing your things."

Ian was speechless as she pulled him into a hug and kissed his forehead.

"Ask Fiona and Lip if we can stay with them, but tell them we can't leave yet. I don't want him to have any knowledge of this, okay? Our secret."

Ian didn't know what to say just yet.

"Once I take care of things, we'll leave. I promise."

She hugged him again and stood up, leaving the room. Ian stared at her, still not speaking. He finally returned to his room after a moment and sat on the bed where Mandy was waiting. She hugged him and the two laid down together, still not speaking.

* * *

An hour later, Ian decided that it was time to get up and leave the house before he did something stupid. Once they were on the train, Ian turned to Mandy.

"We're leaving. My mom and I." She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm serious, she's serious. She walked in and said that we're leaving in a few weeks." He was overflowing with excitement. He was getting out. She wants me to talk to my siblings about letting us stay with them while we find a place." Mandy grabbed his hand with a smile.

"That's fantastic, Ian!" She exclaimed, kissing his cheek. When they got to her house, Ian went quiet again. Mickey stood on the porch.

"Hey, douchebag." Mandy said as she pushed past him and headed inside.

"Bitch." Mickey replied. He caught Ian's arm as the younger boy moved to follow Mandy. "Hold on a minute, Gallagher." Ian looked at him. "Are you okay? Mandy said you were alone with him, did he touch you?" Ian noticed that Mickey wasn't looking him in the eye. Mickey's eyes were looking over Ian's body. For any sign of bruises.

Ian shook his head. "He tried, but he didn't get too far." Ian admitted. "He was interrupted before he could do anything." Mickey raised his hand to his mouth, biting his thumb as he looked over Ian.

"Mandy okay?" Mickey asked.

Ian nodded. "Yeah, she was okay. She always is."

Mickey nodded and let go of Ian's arm to allow him to go inside. When he got into the house he frowned upon seeing a huge lump on the couch. Mandy rolled her eyes and moved to push Ian back outside. She had changed into something nicer.

"My dad. He's passed out drunk." She said, pushing him out the door. Mickey raised an eyebrow at the two as they passed him.

"Going somewhere?" He asked. Mandy smiled at her brother.

"Yeah, we're going on a date, wanna come?"

Ian laughed, but he couldn't deny that a part of him hoped Mickey would say yes. The older boy thought for a moment then shrugged.

"Why not? There's nothing else here to do except wait for dad to wake up."

Ian couldn't help but smile as Mickey started following them. Mandy wrapped her arm around Ian's and leaned against him. To anyone who looked at them, they would seem like a couple that was very much in love. Of course, that was often the point. Mickey stayed a few feet behind them, but Ian kept glancing back at him to make sure he was following.

Ian let Mandy lead them around and his heart sank when he realized where they were going. To his siblings' house. Ian planted his feet firmly on the ground in front of the gate, forcing Mandy to let go of him. She frowned and turned to him.

"I can't, Mandy. How about I meet you at the theater? Mickey can go with me." Ian tossed a glance to Mickey who looked shocked to be addressed. "You can bring Lip with you."

Mickey shrugged, "Yeah. I can go with Gallagher while you get the other one." Mandy frowned more but kissed Ian's cheek and hugged Mickey.

The two boys walked away while Mandy went to knock on the door.

* * *

Mickey couldn't stay still. They had reached the theater easily and were staying in the alley next to it. They planned to sneak into one of the movies, but they had to wait for Mandy and the other Gallagher. And Mickey could not stay still. Gallagher had taken to leaning against the wall, but Mickey couldn't calm down.

His mind was racing. Mandy had called him earlier to tell him that the creep had gotten Ian alone, but she didn't know what happened after that. He had hoped that Gallagher would tell him what happened after their talk, but the kid was being quiet about it. Mickey kept looking at the redhead for any sign of what happened. When he had arrived at his house, Mickey had looked him over for any marks or bruises. For signs that he was hurt, but he seemed fine. He wasn't sure how to ask what happened, but he needed to know otherwise his mind would run wild with possibilities and he would do something he would regret.

Mickey's head snapped up when he heard the material of Ian's jacket slide down the wall as Ian sat down. Mickey stopped his pacing and stood in front of Gallagher who ran a hand through his hair and let out a breath.

"He had me in one of the guest rooms." Mickey swallowed thickly and his hand clenched into a fist at his side. "I don't know what he was planning to do, but he started talking about Mandy and-"

"What the fuck did he say about Mandy?" Mickey interrupted. Fear flashed through Gallagher's eyes and Mickey knew it was from the look on his own face. When Mandy was threatened, Mickey turned homicidal. His hand relaxed then tightened into a fist again. He was aching to hit something, preferably that pervert who apparently was making talks about his little sister. "Did he try anything with her?" Mickey took a step towards Gallagher who tensed up.

Ian shook his head and stood up. "No, it was just an empty threat against me." Mickey let out a breath and relaxed. Mandy was okay and it had just been talks. It didn't make him feel great, but he felt better knowing that that guy hadn't touched Mandy. "He also.." Mickey looked up when Ian trailed off. His eyes softened as he took in the fear on Ian's face. Something else happened.

"Tell me." Mickey ordered. If that asshole touched him-

"He just said some things." Mickey stepped forward more and placed his hand on Ian's shoulder.

"Tell me." Mickey repeated.

"He-" Ian looked down and stepped away from him. "It's nothing, really."

"Gallagher." Mickey's voice was stern, impatient. It had to be bad if Ian was this jumpy about it.

"He started talking about calling you." Mickey stared at him, taken aback. What did that have to do with anything? "He.." Ian was obviously uncomfortable, but Mickey urged him to continue. "He wanted to make you come over and watch as he 'claimed' me."

Mickey felt sick to his stomach. He had a few guesses as to what 'claimed' meant and none of them were good. Before he could reach out and touch Ian, he heard Mandy's voice behind him.

"Miss us?" Mandy's arm was interlinked with the other Gallagher's. When he saw Ian, he smiled and rushed forward to embrace his younger brother. Mickey turned away and stepped back. Mandy caught his eye and looked at him, questioningly. He shook his head with a look that said he'd explain later. Mandy nodded.

The four snuck into the theater. Mickey found himself sitting on the outside with Ian on his left. The other Gallagher was next to Ian and Mandy was on his other side. Halfway through the movie, Mickey looked over at Ian. The other Gallagher and Mandy were holding hands and kissing every so often. Ian had his eyes trained on the screen, his arm on the arm rest.

Mickey stared at Ian's hand. The other boy wasn't asking for him to hold it, but the need was overwhelming. Without saying anything, Mickey reached over and took Ian's hand. The redhead turned towards him, but Mickey didn't look at him. He continued watching the movie. But, he saw Ian smile out of the corner of his eye.

* * *

Mandy grinned as she had her arms linked with both Ian and Lip. She had her best friend and her lover on each arm. She knew that Mickey was following along behind them, probably enjoying the view of Ian's ass in the meantime. She had seen the affectionate touch in the theater, but she wanted to wait to mention it until they were safe at home. Mickey had promised to tell her what he and Ian had talked about when they were alone. Mandy had a few guesses as to what the topic was, but she didn't want to bring it up with Ian.

Ian was the only one outside of family that knew what went on with her dad. She hadn't even told Lip though they'd been seeing each other off and on for years. Ian had only found out because Mandy couldn't have gone to anyone else when she was pregnant a year ago. Mandy leaned against Ian's shoulder. She owed a lot to him and knowing that he was hurting was killing her. She hated that he was ashamed to tell her after everything she'd told him and it made her want to cry.

On the one hand, she found it endearing because it meant that he didn't think any less of her because of what she put up with to survive. On the other hand, she hated that he thought so little of himself that he thought it would make him less of a person for what he had to do to survive.

Mandy had never had a best friend until she'd developed a crush on this stupid boy from her class. She had tried to get him to sleep with her, but he confessed to being gay and that was it. She only pretended to be his girlfriend to keep him safe, and it worked for her too because it meant that creepy guys would leave her alone since she had a tough boyfriend looking out for her. Her family and Ian's knew that it was a sham, but everyone else could go screw themselves.

Mandy suggested that they go to her house to talk after they dropped Lip off at his. Mickey had raised an eyebrow, but she said they could talk in his room since their dad wouldn't care if they were alone in there, but Mickey told her that their dad should be on a drug run out of town for a few days, so they'd have the house to themselves.

They piled into Mickey's room regardless. Mandy and Ian sat on the couch against Mickey's wall while her brother sat on the bed.

"So.." Mandy started, trailing off as she looked at the two boys. "What were you two talking about?" Mickey shook his head, telling her to drop it. Ian didn't answer either. Since neither boy would talk, they decided to go into the living room to play Iggy's Xbox.

Ian received a call about 9 pm and when he came back, he asked if he could stay the night. Mandy agreed and they set him up in her room, just in case. Around midnight, Ian fell asleep and Mandy left her room to go into her brother's. He was sitting up, awake. Mandy sat next to him.

"What did you talk about?" She asked. Mickey looked at her for a moment before responding.

"The Creep threatened both of us."

Mandy raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Apparently he made some comments about you, then said he'd like me to come over and watch him claim Gallagher."

Mandy shuddered. "What the fuck does that mean?"

"I have a few guesses." Mickey lit a cigarette and took a long drag before handing it over to Mandy. She took a drag of it and let out the smoke into the air.

"Shit. He does know that I'd kick his ass if he tried anything with me, right?" Mickey laughed, despite the situation.

"Ian thinks he was just saying it to scare him into complying."

"We should get the gang together and put him six feet under." Mandy suggested.

"Ian's terrified that he'll hurt someone if we do. Believe me, I've thought about it. He shouldn't be allowed to get away with that because he can threaten someone."

"We could always just not tell Ian that we're doing it. Keep Ian completely out of it. He and his mom are planning on leaving, but I don't know if they can. His mom seems like a flake and she'll probably throw him to the wolves before she goes hungry." Mandy said, bitterly.

"Gun, knife, or tire iron?" Mickey asked.

Mandy smiled. She could always count on her brother to make things better. "Tire iron seems fitting. Beat him to death. I want him to suffer for what he's done to Ian."

"Next week?" Mickey grinned. "We'll get everyone in on it and hide Ian at the Gallagher's."

Mandy chuckled. "Sounds like a plan." She took another drag of the cigarette to calm herself more. But knowing that they'd be doing something about the pervert that was making Ian's life a living hell calmed her down more than anything else could.

"Next Saturday, then. We'll get everyone in on it."

Mandy hugged him before returning to Ian and crawling into bed with him.

Things were in place and she'd be doing her part in helping Ian get out of a horrible situation. She hoped that their plan would work and that he wouldn't hate her forever for it.

But things were never that simple.


	4. Like a Saturated Sunrise

The plan was simple, or at least Mandy thought it was. Mandy told her brothers and father that the asshole touched her and that was all it took for them to go full on 'let's murder him'. A part of her bitterly thought that it was funny that their father could touch her all he wanted, but anyone else was dead meat, but she figured that it was out of fear rather than family loyalty.

They kept Ian out of the loop and Mandy hated every time that she was forced to let him return to Callum's home. She had managed to convince Ian to let her stay with him every night leading up to the attack. She and Mickey had agreed that Saturday would be the day they would attack. It gave them time to get their brothers and father in on it and gave Mandy time to figure out what to do with Ian. He wasn't supposed to be part of it and Mandy was in charge of keeping it that way. She had the perfect plan to get him out of the house. She would simply ask him on a date and promise that her brother would join them. Sure, it was lying, but it was for a good cause.

Mandy sat on Ian's bed, leaning against the wall. Ian was laying down with his legs in her lap as she drew small designs onto his ankle with a pink pen. He looked up and smiled at her as she continued drawing. Mandy had managed to steal Ian's attention every time Callum came around. She made a show of needing her best friend for something and Callum, not wanting to raise any suspicion, had let Mandy have her way. When he would become too touchy with Ian, Mandy would quickly say that they had a school project to work on. When he would request Ian meet with him, Mandy would suddenly burst into tears and would require Ian to calm her down. She knew that Callum was starting to get annoyed with her, but she honestly couldn't care less how the old man felt. She'd kick his ass if he ever raised a hand to her and he knew it too.

"What are your plans this weekend?" Mandy asked. Ian hadn't been touched by Callum all week thanks to Mandy. It had gotten to the point that she asked him to accompany her to the bathroom and she would even follow him in as well. She claimed it was because she didn't want to be left alone for more than a minute because of the abuse she suffered from her father's hands. No one wanted to argue with her.

Ian shrugged. "Probably nothing. I was thinking of going to talk to Fiona and Lip."

Mandy hid a grin behind her hair. Excellent. "About your mom?" She asked. He nodded in response. "Hey, punch Lip in the shoulder for me, yeah?" Mandy laughed.

"What'd he do now?" Ian set the book he was reading down beside him and leaned forward.

"Wouldn't call me back." She said, absentmindedly. Her eyes were trained on Ian's door now. She could've sworn that she heard something outside. She swallowed thickly as a dark feeling crept up on her. She was a survivor and had grown up in a war, which meant she was always on edge. Always listening for the small sounds that no one else bothered with.

She could hear glass bottles clinking and muffled laughter.

"Ian.." Mandy started. She turned to her friend and looked around quickly for her phone. She handed it over to Ian. "Call Mickey. Now." She ordered. Ian stared at her for a moment before she huffed out a breath, like a bull getting ready to charge. Ian did as he was ordered as Mandy moved his legs to stand up. She smoothed out her skirt and waited for Mickey to pick up the phone.

"Mandy? What's going on?" Mandy fixed her appearance quickly.

"You need to get here. Now. I think we're out of time."

"Ian!" Mandy froze as she heard Callum's voice behind the door. It sounded different, slurred. Ian froze as well as the realization set in.

"I think the Creep is drunk. And he brought friends." Mandy said. She took Ian's hand in her own and squeezed it. She tried not to let her fear show, but when perverts and alcohol mixed, they were never good in Mandy's experience. "Get over here as quickly as you can. We'll try and fight them off as long as possible, but.." She trailed off and felt sick to her stomach. Ian's eyes locked with her's.

"Mandy, Ian." The two looked at the phone. "Fight like hell, don't make it easy for them."

Someone pounded on the door causing both teenagers to jump. "We'll try." Mandy replied.

Before anyone could say anything else, the door burst open. It was a blur of hands and drunken laughter. Mandy vaguely heard someone scream as she drew her fist back and hit someone. Blood splattered onto her hand and she heard another scream. Someone grabbed her arm and threw her into the wall. She hit her head against Ian's dresser and fell to the round. Her vision blurred in front of her and she saw something red being pulled out of the room.

_Ian._

There was someone standing above her, swaying in her field of vision. She saw the figure grin and then everything went dark.

* * *

"There's no time to wait." Mickey said. "Mandy called and said that this creep was drunk and had friends over. The last thing I heard was her screaming before the phone cut off."

Instantly the entire Milkovich family was on their feet and piling into one of their stolen cars. Mickey was sure they broke a few speeding laws, but they eventually made it to the creep's house. There were a few cars parked outside.

They split up, with Mickey taking the back entrance to the house. Had they had more time, they would have scoped out the place and made sure that there were no witnesses. But Mickey picked the lock to the back and held his gun in front of him.

He was in the kitchen. The entire house was dark and way too quiet. The Milkovich family was very skilled in being quiet when they had to and right now, Mandy's life was on the line. Despite how screwed up his family was, Mickey knew for certain that Mandy was the baby and any harm that came to her was a declaration of war. They would kill for her. She was their weakness and they would go to the ends of the Earth to protect her.

Of course, Mickey had another weakness in the house. _Ian._ He trusted his family to find and protect Mandy, but he was the only one who was there for Ian.

Mickey froze when he saw a slumped figure in the corner. They were lying in a pool of blood. Mickey ran over and knelt down, putting the gun on the floor next to him. The figure's head was covered. He pulled back the towel and let out a breath when he saw that it wasn't Mandy or Ian.

It was an older man who Mickey didn't recognize. The blood didn't seem to be from him though, which made Mickey sick. He picked up the gun again and searched the rest of the kitchen. The guy was passed out and wouldn't be a problem. He spotted his brother, Iggy, heading into the basement, motioning for Mickey to follow. The rest of his family was searching the rest of the house, so Mickey followed him. They descended the stairs and Mickey's eyes widened when he spotted Ian's body lying on one of the couches down there. He nodded to Iggy who looked around the rest of the basement, letting Mickey run over to Ian's side.

Ian was still breathing, but barely. Mickey took in his appearance. His hair was disheveled, and the parts of his body that Mickey could see were covered in marks. There was a sheet thrown across Ian's bottom half.

"Oh, Ian.." Mickey said softly, brushing the hair out of Ian's face. He wasn't conscious and there was blood on his forehead from a gash.

"Iggy.." Mickey looked over when he heard Mandy's voice. She was slumped in a corner. He left Ian alone and moved quickly to his little sister. He helped support her head and felt cold when he saw that her head was bleeding.

"Iggy, we need to get them both to a hospital." Mickey said, panic in his voice. Iggy nodded in agreement. "You get Mandy and I'll get Gallagher." Iggy picked their sister up and left Mickey alone to deal with Ian.

Ian blinked his eyes open and he seemed to have trouble focusing. Probably from the concussion.

Mickey managed to smile at him. "Hey, Gallagher." He said.

Before Ian could reply, Mickey heard the sound of a shotgun being loaded. Mickey froze with his hand hovering over Ian's head.

"Don't move." The creep said.

Ian's eyes shut as Mickey kept still. He regretted telling Iggy to go on without him. He could have really used the back-up.

The creep came into view. Mickey figured he had been watching. Mickey kept his eyes trained on him, watching his movements. Usually, Mickey was the predator, but now he felt like the prey.

"I told him that you weren't allowed to speak to him anymore. He obviously disobeyed me." Callum said, walking around to the other side of the couch so that Ian was between them. He kept the gun trained on Mickey. "He fought like hell, I'll give him that. I never could have imagined how good it would feel to take that fight out of him. Of listening to him scream for you."

Mickey's hand clenched into a fist out of anger.

"Your sister screamed loudly too. We had to hold her down to keep her from hurting herself. I do hope your brothers get her to a hospital soon, she's going to need it if they're going to save her from the drugs we gave her."

Mickey could've killed him with his bare hands at that point.

"Ian, on the other hand.. He's not going anywhere." Mickey didn't even notice that Callum had rounded the couch and now had the barrel of the gun pressed to the back of Mickey's head until his head was pressed forward. "I know about his mom trying to get them out of here. I know she was planning on stealing all of my money and then calling the police to tell them what I've been doing to her son."

Mickey fought with all of his might as Callum grabbed the gun from his hands. He set it on the table out of Mickey's reach. When the gun was back on him, Mickey raised his hands in surrender.

"It really is a shame, Mickey. You just couldn't leave things alone. You would have been fun too."

"Go fuck yourself." Mickey swung out with his leg, catching the older man and knocking him to the ground. The gun fired, thankfully into the ceiling. Mickey didn't give him a chance to get a hold of the gun again. His fists kept swinging and pounding into the guy's face. A red haze covered his vision. All he could think about was that this guy hurt his sister and Ian.

"Mickey!" Someone grabbed him, pulling him off of Callum's still body. He fought against the hold before he realized that it was Jamie. "Mickey! We need to get you out of here." His hands were covered in blood, but he couldn't force himself to care too much. "Mickey! Look at me!" Jamie forced him to make eye contact. "You need to get the hell out of here. The police are on their way and you're covered in blood. We have to get Mandy to the hospital, she overdosed on something."

Mandy.

_Ian!_

Mickey looked away and found Joey kneeling in front of Ian.

"I think the kid overdosed too. He's alive though." Joey looked over his shoulder at Mickey. Mickey's eyes were trained on Ian though. " _Mickey._ " Joey's voice broke through to him. "He's okay. We need to get him to the hospital. You get out of here and we'll take care of him and Mandy, okay?" Mickey glanced at the body on the floor.

_He killed someone._

Sure, the asshole deserved it, but Mickey had never taken a life himself. He had helped before to dispose of someone that overstepped their boundaries. But he had beaten someone to death.

Jamie shoved him towards the staircase. "Get out of here! Iggy and Joey will take them to the hospital, Dad, Tony, and I will take care of the body. Get out of here before the police arrive." Mickey took one last look at Ian before taking off.

* * *

Fiona was on edge. She couldn't sit still, not when no one would tell her what was going on. She and Lip had left the kids back home while they waited for any information on Ian's condition. She gripped Lip's hand tightly, but he didn't seem to mind.

All they had told her over the phone was that he was in serious condition and that they needed to come down there immediately.

Fiona closed her eyes to keep her tears at bay. They had been in the middle of lunch when the phone rang. Frank was yelling about not having anything to eat - though they had food and Lip was in the midst of shoving him out the door. The phone rang though, and everything stopped. Debbie had been the one to answer it, yet they asked for Frank.

Fiona felt a tear slip down her cheek as a sob escaped her throat.

Frank had been his usual self as he grabbed the phone. He hung up without telling anyone anything, but told them that Ian was in the hospital as he grabbed a case of beer and left them alone again. Fiona had to call the hospital back for information.

She and Lip had been sitting there for over an hour to hear any information. A few seats away were the Milkovich family. Apparently, their sister was there too. Fiona had no idea how they were going to pay for this, but what mattered more was that Ian got the help he needed.

"Gallagher?"

Fiona shot up and practically ran over to the doctor who called their name. "Hi, yes, I'm Ian's sister, this is his brother." She said, motioning to Lip.

The doctor looked between the two of them. "Your brother is stable. He took a few sedatives that we flushed out of his system. He's sleeping it off right now." There was something else on his mind. "I'd like to recommend a few psychologists for him to visit though."

Fiona frowned. "Why? For the drugs? He doesn't do drugs."

The doctor shook his head. "Follow me." He said, after glancing around the waiting room. Fiona took Lip's hand and followed the doctor. They stopped outside of a room that had Ian's name written next to it. "I suspected your brother has been a victim of sexual abuse for a few years now. I was able to talk to him for a few minutes before he fell asleep and he confirmed it."

Fiona's blood ran cold and her eyes widened. She gripped Lip tighter, like he would keep her from losing it. She looked through the window and saw Ian. Asleep. How had she let this happen?

"Did he say who did it?" Lip asked.

The doctor shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. He just said yes when I asked him." He clasped his hands in front of him, obviously uncomfortable but professional in that he continued on despite his own feelings. "The statistics say that it's probably a close family friend or relative."

"We don't have any family friends or relatives. Except our father, Frank." Lip said.

Fiona closed her eyes as the realization crept up on her. "Ian doesn't live with us, he lives with our mom. They live with her boyfriend."

The words she said seemed to register in Lip's mind.

"I'm sorry." The doctor said, looking at both of them. "I strongly suggest getting him someone to talk to and filing charges. We did a rape exam that we're willing to turn over to the police if he does decide to press charges."

Fiona nodded. "Thank you." She said. The doctor walked away and she looked at her brother.

Lip wrapped his arms around her and she felt him cry into her chest. They were both tired of being strong for their family. Fiona sobbed into his hair.

They were so damn tired of it all. Fiona never wanted the responsibility of caring for her siblings like their mother. All she had wanted was a normal life, but she knew she'd never have one now. Not with her family being who they were. But in the end, she wouldn't trade her family for any in the world.

Fiona wiped her eyes and let her brother go. Together they walked into Ian's hospital room and shut the door behind him. They each took a seat on either side of their little brother and took his hands in their own. They waited for him to wake up.

* * *

Lip couldn't sleep. Not with all of the thoughts racing through his mind. How had he not seen what was going on? The bruises, the jumpiness.

Why had they trusted Monica to take care of Ian? They should have fought harder and longer to keep Ian. They should have taken Ian back as soon as they realized he was with Monica. Why had they given her a chance with Ian?

Lip remembered when Ian had been taken from them. He remembered it every day and he hated himself longer for letting it happen. He had kicked and screamed and begged CPS not to take Ian from them, but they wouldn't listen to a toddler's cries.

Lip looked up at Fiona who had her head laid down on Ian's hospital bed.

How did they get here? They were just two kids who were in over their heads. Lip looked at his brother. There was no way that Ian was going back after this. If Lip had to hide him in Kentucky, he would to keep Ian safe.

Finally, he couldn't stay there anymore. Lip got up and left the hospital room.

It was late, so most people had gone home which meant the hospital was quiet. Lip left the hospital and headed outside. He found a bench and sat down.

"Gallagher." Lip looked up when he heard Mickey Milkovich's voice. The other boy was watching him, warily. Something was off about him, but Lip couldn't place it. "Everything alright?" Lip thought back to how Mickey and Ian had acted towards each other. It was clear that Milkovich had feelings for Lip's brother.

"Did you know?" Lip asked. "What that asshole was doing to Ian?" Mickey let out a sigh.

"He didn't want you to know." Lip looked away to keep the thug from seeing him cry. "He was ashamed, thought you would think less of him."

"Where the fuck would he get that idea?" It wasn't a real question, but Lip desperately wanted to know.

Mickey sat next to him. "That fucker made him believe you'd hate him if you knew. That you'd think he was disgusting for letting it happen."

Lip could've punched him. "He didn't let it happen. It happened to him."

Mickey held his hands up in defense. "Relax. I don't think that about him. I'm just letting you know from his perspective."

"How did I not know?" Lip asked. "How could anyone do this to him?"

"I don't know. But he doesn't have to worry about that guy anymore."

Lip didn't really need to ask. "Did you kill him?" Mickey just stared at him. That was a good enough answer in Lip's mind. Lip nodded. "Wish I could have helped."

Mickey shook his head. "I don't know where his mom went. She wasn't at the house."

Lip nodded. "She never is around when she needs to be. She's probably off with some new guy. Ian's not going back with her."

Before they could say anything else, Lip's phone rang.

"Ian's awake." Fiona said when he answered. "He's asking for Mickey."

Lip looked at said boy. "Ian's asking for you. Wanna come up with me?" Mickey nodded. "We'll be up in a few minutes, Fiona."

Fiona didn't reply, but hung up the phone.

They headed up to Ian's room. As soon as the door was open, the atmosphere of the room changed. Ian locked eyes with Mickey and he rushed forward to be at Ian's side.

"Hey, Gallagher. You scared me to death there."

Ian smiled. "Sorry. Is Mandy okay?" He asked.

Mickey nodded. "Yeah. She's tough. She woke up a few hours ago."

"I don't think they gave her as many sedatives." Ian said. Lip shared a worried look with Fiona but the two other boys didn't seem to notice. "Where is he?"

"You don't need to worry about him anymore. He's gone and isn't coming back." Mickey said.

"Jail?" Mickey shook his head. "Good riddance." Ian replied. He turned to Fiona and Lip. "Where's mom?"

Lip shrugged. "We don't know. They'll find her, though. They always do."

"She's been doing good. She was planning on getting out."

Lip, desperate for contact with his brother, ran his fingers through Ian's hair softly and comfortingly. "Maybe she did. You're going to stay with us though, okay? No more going off with Monica."

Ian seemed like he wanted to argue, but Fiona cut him off.

"Ian." She said with a stern voice. "You're staying with us. Even if Monica comes back, she needs professional help to get better." Lip noticed how she shifted her balance. "We need you, Ian. We want you to stay with us." She said, taking Ian's hand.

Ian thought for a moment before nodding. "Okay." He said. He looked at Mickey for a moment. They had some kind of silent conversation before Ian turned back to his siblings. "I need to talk to you about what happened."

Fiona sat on the edge of the bed and Lip stood next to her as Ian began talking. Lip noticed that Mickey had his fingers intertwined with Ian's as he talked about the abuse he suffered at Callum's hands.

A part of Lip was angry that the fucker was dead. He would have loved to have part in the killing of his brother's tormentor.

Ian talked about how, at first, it was just light touches and slight comments. How Callum eventually started touching him at dinner, or sneaking into his bed in the middle of the night. How Ian begged for his mom to help him or to just care that it was wrong. What Ian had to do to get simple things like medication or other necessities. Lip felt like throwing up halfway through Ian's explanation, but he kept himself together.

Ian told them about what happened after he and Mandy called Mickey to come help. How he and Mandy fought them off before they threw her into his dresser and she hit her head. They had grabbed him and slammed him into the wall to disorient him. Callum had dragged him into the basement and injected a needle into his neck. Ian didn't know what the substance was, but it knocked him out almost immediately.

He said that he woke up during it all to find Callum on top of him and thrusting into him. He gripped Mickey's hand as he kept his voice steady. They had drugged him again after he woke up, but he managed to see someone climb on top of Mandy while they held her down.

He said that when he woke up again, it was to Mickey's face hovering above him before he slipped away again. Then he woke up in the hospital.

Lip wanted to hit something. Fiona was sobbing behind him. Mickey looked impassive, but Lip could see the slight quiver of his lip. He wanted to cry too. Ian's face remained cold and detached.

Lip leaned down and kissed Ian's forehead. "We love you so much, Ian." He whispered. "Nothing can ever change that. You know that, right?"

Ian bit his lip. "Promise?"

Lip smiled. "Promise, little brother." He hugged Ian tightly. Fiona joined on the hug as well. Lip made eye contact with Mickey and mouthed a thank you. He nodded, but looked away from them.

Ian said he was tired and wanted to sleep, but they were welcome to stay.

They ended up all staying in the room. Fiona and Lip made a palette on the floor of sheets and pillows that they had been given by the hospital staff. As Lip was falling asleep, he saw Mickey lean over and kiss Ian on the mouth before taking his hand and falling asleep in the chair next to Ian's bed.

Lip smiled. He was happy to know that someone was looking out for his little brother, even when he couldn't.


	5. They Can't Believe I Made You Weak

Ian didn't hate hospitals, he _despised_ them. He knew they were important, but he also knew that the soon he was out of that one, the happier he'd be. Hospitals never played out well for him. The last time he was in a hospital, everything went to hell. He was given to Clayton, and everything went downhill from there.

"Can I go home yet?" Ian asked one morning when his doctor came to check on him. "It's been a week and I feel fine. I want to go home."

Fiona and Lip stood at the end of his bed, talking to the doctor. Ian had finally convinced Mickey to go home and get some actual sleep, though Mickey had protested it the entire time. He had started to notice the dark circles under Mickey's eyes from a lack of sleep. Mickey needed a real bed and a good night's sleep, desperately.

Fiona glanced from the doctor to Ian before crossing her arms over her chest and coming to stand at his side.

"There's been a complication." She was trying to sound as calm and collected as possible, but Ian saw right through it.

"What kind of complication?" He asked. What would keep them from releasing him? Had Mickey not killed Callum? The thought sent his heart rate racing.

His siblings shared a look before Fiona spoke again. "You're seventeen. They have to have your legal guardian discharge you."

"Okay, that's Monica. Did they find her?" He pushed himself up so that he wasn't laying down. "Is she okay?" He didn't know what he'd do if she wasn't. He spent his entire life protecting her and if it had all been for nothing? He couldn't take that.

"We don't know." Lip replied, shifting uncomfortably. "No one can find her. She disappeared."

"Ian, she's not the complication." Fiona interrupted. Ian didn't get it. He'd been living with Monica for most of his life. She was his guardian.

"Clayton never signed over his parental rights when he gave you to her. Legally, he's your guardian." Fiona cleared her throat, obviously holding back tears. "He wants you to come back with him."

"No fucking way!" Ian spat out. Fiona bit her lip.

"We're going to fight it." She tried to cover his hand, but he pulled it away from her. She looked offended for a moment, but let it slide. "You may have to stay with him for a few days, but I promise we're going to fight it."

His heart was pounding out of fear. Clayton had abandoned him once and his life since had been hell because of it.

"No! I'm not going with him. He kicked me out after a month when I was just a kid. He doesn't get to just come back like nothing happened and just expect things to be okay."

Lip's eyes were angry, Ian could tell that he agreed. "We'll try to talk him out of taking you away, but we may not have a choice, Ian. We'll fight it as hard as we can, but you may need to put up with him for a few days."

"Does he know what happened?"

Fiona shook her head. "No, we didn't tell him. We can, if you don't want to tell him yourself." Ian finally took her hand and squeezed it in gratitude.

There was a knock at the door. The three Gallaghers froze, fearing who was behind it. They visible relaxed when Mandy and Mickey walked in instead. They took in the expressions and Mickey rushed to Ian's side.

"You okay, Gallagher?" Though there were two other Gallaghers in the room, Ian knew exactly which one he meant. He couldn't help but smile at the affection, however minimal it was. These two kids barely knew him, but they were willing to protect him. Mickey had killed for him. While he was sure that the thought should have made him shudder in fear, it filled him with pride and admiration. Mickey had saved him. He had defeated the demon that plagued Ian's nightmares. Ian leaned into Mickey's touch as the older boy placed his hand on Ian's cheek. To reassure himself that Ian was alive and that nothing had happened while he'd been gone.

"Yeah," Ian started. "Yeah, I'm fine." And he was. Clayton would tire of him soon enough and they would contact Monica who would rush in to save the day. As if that could make up for everything that happened while she was gone. Ian had a made a promise to his siblings that he'd stay away from his mom. He really should have made that promise a long time ago, but his mom needed help and Ian was the only one willing to give it.

Mickey nodded in response and stepped away. He was replaced by Mandy who pressed a kiss to his lips, the way she always did. He smiled at her.

"You alright?" He asked her.

She laughed lightly, "Yeah. They thought they were so tough, but they were weak and pathetic." She said, tangling her fingers with his as she held his hand. "I'm a tough girl, they can't break me so easily."

Ian nodded. "That's good."

"Ian?" Ian looked over at the door. He didn't even realize someone was there. He frowned when he saw Clayton standing in the doorway. Clayton took in the faces around him. Without waiting for approval, he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. Ian was surprised to not see his wife or son with him. Clayton seemed to notice the look. "Jacob's in the waiting room." Clayton said. "He thought it might be a little too much for you right now."

Ian shrugged. He didn't know much about his dad's son. His half-brother. But he was a year older than Ian, and if he remembered correctly, they could almost pass for twins with how much they looked alike.

"What are you doing here?" Ian asked. Clayton stepped closer, not paying attention to the other occupants of the room.

"I'm still your legal guardian and your father. I want you to come home with me, Ian. I want to apologize for letting Lucy treat you like she did."

Behind Clayton, Ian could see Lip's hands clench into fists.

"I let her control everything and I let her kick you out and I'm sorry for it."

Mandy squeezed his hand. A silent reminder that she'd willingly hit him for Ian if he wanted her to.

"Lucy and I got divorced last month and I've been looking for you since then. I want to start over, Ian."

Ian looked away from him. He didn't want to look at his siblings, so he trained his eyes on Mickey. Mickey's face was blank, but when he caught Ian staring at him, he smiled slightly.

"You can still see your siblings, but I'd like you to come home with me." Clayton continued, as if Ian wasn't ignoring him. "I can give you a stable home and I can pay for your counseling."

Something inside Ian snapped at the mention of any kind of therapy.

"I don't need therapy! What I need is to be able to go back home to my family, where I'm safer than I ever would be with you. You kicked me out and gave me to my bipolar mother who didn't give a damn about what anyone was doing to me." He tried to find something to throw at Clayton, but found nothing that would pack quite the punch he was looking for. "I want to stay with Fiona and Lip. The best way you can help me is by letting me stay with them."

He knew he should feel grateful to Clayton for wanting everything to do with him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that if he hadn't been kicked out, none of what happened would have occurred. He would have never gone with his mom, his mom wouldn't have dragged him along with Callum. He wouldn't have been in the hospital with multiple injuries.

But he probably wouldn't have met Mandy either. He'd only met her because she was the bartender at Wonderland. When Ian had become one of the dancers, he often headed over to get a drink from her. They were both underage, but they bonded over that. The fact that they were both sixteen and using fake IDs to work at a club (of course they never said anything within earshot of the others). And if he hadn't met Mandy, he wouldn't have fucked her brother after she asked him to.

He wouldn't have met Mickey.

So, in a way, Clayton kicking him out was a good thing. He met two people that he couldn't imagine life without now. Though, he supposed that he would have met them eventually, but would the circumstances have been different?

"Please," He said, looking at Clayton. "Please, just let me stay with them. I don't care how involved you are in my life, but I want to stay with Fiona and Lip."

He felt desperate, because he was. He was tired of having decisions made for him without a care as to how he felt bout them. His mom did that all the time.

Clayton looked conflicted as he looked between Ian and his siblings.

"Okay." Clayton finally said. "Okay, you can stay with them. But, I'd like you to have dinner with Jacob and I once a week. We can catch up on things and I can make sure you're okay."

Ian could live with that. He nodded. "Okay." He replied. Lip smiled at him.

"Would you like to meet Jacob?" Clayton asked. "I mean, I know you two met before but.." He trailed off.

Ian thought for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. If I'm gonna see him every week, I should probably get to know him so we can talk about stuff and it not be awkward." Ian laughed. Clayton nodded and left the room.

Mandy clutched his hand, kissing his knuckles.

"If you get uncomfortable, tell us and we'll kick them out, alright?" Lip asked. Ian looked at him and nodded. "I mean it. Just look at us and they're gone."

"Lip, I'm fine. Really. After everything I've been through, seeing Clayton and Jacob isn't going to kill me."

Fiona frowned, but sat down without a word. Lip did the same, taking her hand.

"Where's Debbie, Carl, and Liam?" Ian asked.

Fiona smiled, "Staying with Vee and Kev. They have school tomorrow, so we didn't want them staying up all night. Debbie practically had a fit when she learned that we were leaving her behind while you were in the hospital."

Ian laughed. "I bet. I can't wait to see them."

Fiona grinned and stood up. "Hey, I'm gonna head back home and get things set up for you. We'll put you in the spare room, if that's okay."

Ian smiled back at her. "Yeah, that sounds fine." He said.

Fiona glanced from Ian to the two Milkovichs. "Mandy, Mickey?" They both looked at her. "You both are welcome at the house any time." She said. Before the two could answer, Fiona was leaving the room. Ian saw her holding back tears. He frowned, but squeezed Mandy's hand.

"Mandy?" She looked back at him. "Thanks for everything. I owe you one."

Mandy laughed and shook her head. "No, I was paying back my debt for everything you did for me last year."

Ian remembered what she was talking about clearly. She had shown up to the Kash & Grab in tears. Ian had held her as she managed to say what she was upset about. She was pregnant and needed help on figuring out what to do. They managed to get the money together to get her an abortion, especially after Ian learned who had gotten her pregnant.

"You're my girlfriend, right? I'd do anything for you."

Mandy smiled, tears in her eyes. "Just like you're my boyfriend and I'll kick anyone's ass that fucks with you. Or I'll get Mickey to do it."

Ian looked over at Mickey. Mickey didn't make eye contact with him, looking at the floor.

"Why don't you guys go home and get some rest, alright?" Ian said. "I'll be fine here alone." He looked at the three other occupants of the room. "Seriously, you all look exhausted. Especially you, Lip. You've slept in that chair for the past week."

Lip chuckled. "You sure? Clayton and his son should be coming in here soon."

Ian nodded. "Yeah. I should probably talk to them without my guard dogs." He motioned to Mickey and Mandy. Mandy laughed, but Mickey didn't make a sound.

Mandy leaned over and kissed him. "Love you, Ian. Don't hesitate to call if things go bad." He nodded at her and watched her leave with Mickey, who still didn't say a word to him. He felt a little bad, but he understood it.

There was no reason for Mickey to stick around anymore. Ian was safe, going back home. He had no obligation to stick around really. Besides, it was probably better that Mickey didn't come around. The police were going to eventually start asking questions about Callum's disappearance. Ian figured that Mickey would want to stay out of it and probably wouldn't be visiting again, unless Mandy dragged him there. But, she wouldn't. Because Mickey didn't need to be there.

Ian would be lying if he said that he didn't want Mickey to come anyways.

Lip shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'll head home too, then. Like Mandy said, call if you need anything at all. I'll figure out a way to get here." Ian smiled.

"Thanks, Lip." He said as Lip left the room as well.

* * *

The talk with Clayton and Jacob was good. He bonded with Jacob over their love for video games and a few other things. At the end of the day, he felt like he had made a new friend. Clayton didn't say much, but he did say that he'd be back. As long as it was okay with Ian. Ian replied that it was.

After the two left, he tried to get some sleep. He was woken up by the feeling of someone staring at him. He opened his eyes and froze when he saw blonde hair over him.

"Mom?" He asked, pushing himself up.

His mom grinned at him and hugged him, apparently not caring for the tubes and wires connecting him to the machines that were monitoring him. He hugged her back.

"What are you doing here?"

She pulled away from him, still smiling. "I came to see you silly! Come on, we're getting out of here." She said. She started to pull on his hand but he pulled back from her.

"Mom!" He yelled. "Mom, I'm in the hospital. I can't just leave. Trust me, I've been trying to."

His mom waved him off. "I found a place for us to stay! We're getting away from Callum."

Ian stared at her. "Mom. Callum's dead. He died a week ago. Where have you been?"

She sat on the edge of his bed. "Getting us a place to stay, silly! I got a new boyfriend who's going to take care of us."

His heart sank to his stomach. Every time she got a new boyfriend and they found out she had a teenage son, they fell in love with her because they knew they could do whatever they wanted to him.

"Mom, I'm not going with you."

She frowned. "What do you mean? You're my baby boy, you have to come with me."

Ian shook his head. "I'm staying with Fiona and Lip. They're not going to let me go with you after what happened with Callum."

His mom laughed. "They don't know what they're talking about. Callum loved us."

"He nearly killed me. He nearly killed my friend."

His mom stopped. "You're lying. He would never do that."

Ian, at the end of his rope, showed her the bruises on his wrist and neck. The scar on his forehead. "Callum did this to me. He drugged me and took me down to the basement. He and his friends."

There was a sharp sound and it took him a moment to realize she had hit him. He raised his hand to his cheek where it burned in pain.

"Get out." He ordered. "Get out of here and never come back." With his other hand he pressed the button to call in a nurse. "I don't want you here. Go back to your boyfriend and never come back into my life."

The nurse came in and put her hands on his mom's shoulders. "Ma'am, it's ever visiting hours. You have to leave."

His mom stood up and pushed the nurse away. "You can't keep me out of here, he's my son! Ian, baby," She put her hand on his cheek. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let them hurt you, but I need you. You're all I have, sweetheart. Talk to Fiona for me, tell her I'm sorry. I need you to help me, Ian." He pushed her away.

"Please, get her out of here." He begged the nurse.

Monica began screaming at the nurse to let go of her. Ian raised his hands to his ears to block out the noise. The nurse called in back-up and they dragged Monica away, kicking and screaming.

Another went to his side and asked if he was okay. He just nodded, wordlessly.

"She's bipolar. I think she's manic." He said. The nurse nodded. "I don't want her coming back here. Can you keep her from coming back?"

The nurse smiled sadly. "Of course. We can keep out anyone you don't want out." He nodded and laid back down. "Do you want us to call your brother and sister?"

He shook his head. "No, let them sleep. I'll tell them in the morning."

The nurse nodded and left the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

He was doing good until his mom came back into his life. He found himself feeling guilty. She needed him to help her. She needed _him_. When had anyone else needed him? No one needed him. He wasn't essential to anyone's life except his mother's. He liked being needed, being wanted.

Maybe that was why he worked at Wonderland, because he was wanted. People there wanted him, they wanted to fuck him, spend time with him. They made him feel good with their words, touches, and drugs.

He wanted that back. The weightless and senseless admiration. He was sure that if he went back to Fiona and Lip and let them make his decisions that he wouldn't get that back.

He wanted Mickey. He frowned and picked up the phone next to his bed. He dialed Mandy's number, because he didn't have Mickey's.

" _Gallagher?_ " Mickey's voice answered.

"Hey, Mickey." Ian replied.

" _What's wrong?_ "

It was easy. He could pass it off as nothing. He could say that he meant to call someone else and just dialed the wrong number, or say that he wanted to talk to Mandy before he could sleep. Make sure one final time that she was okay. He could say that he was calling to make sure Mandy got home safe, like a good boyfriend would do.

"I- Can you come back?" He asked.

" _Tonight?_ " Mickey sounded aggravated. Like it was an inconvenience. His words cut into Ian, fueling his hatred and disappointment in himself. " _Gallagher?_ " Mickey asked when Ian took too long to reply.

"N-No. It's fine, forget about it." He didn't hang up the phone though. "Forget I asked. I'm not thinking clearly right now, they have me on so many medications." It was a lie. They had stopped his medications a few days ago, but Mickey didn't know that.

" _I'll be there in twenty minutes._ " Ian's mouth dropped open in shock as Mickey hung up the phone. He let it drop to his side and waited.

True to his word, twenty minutes later, Mickey was standing in the doorway to his room.

Ian looked up at him. He guessed that his eyes betrayed everything he wanted to say. The hurt, the need, the want. Mickey shed his coat, tossing it into the chair that Lip always used.

He stood by Ian's bedside, crossing his arms over his chest. "You call and I come running, alright? Mandy would kill me otherwise."

Ian laughed. There was a look in Mickey's eyes that said that his words weren't true. That he wasn't doing this for Mandy. He was doing it for Ian.

"Move over." Ian shuffled over onto one side of the bed, allowing room for Mickey to join him. Ian closed his eyes as the older boy's arms wrapped around him, letting Ian rest his head on Mickey's chest. "Wanna talk about it?" Ian shook his head.

"My mom. She came by and ruined everything. The way she does."

Mickey nodded. "Yeah, my dad has a tendency to do that too. He's like a light to moths. Attracts bad shit that ends up covering us. Mandy ever tell you about the time my dad was in jail and left us to deal with everything he left behind?" Ian shook his head, closing his eyes. "Yeah, someone owed him money and he told us to go collect it. Some gang owed him money. I was fourteen, and still the brains of the entire operation." Ian laughed lightly. "So, we went in guns blazing. Imagine our surprise when we found a fucking gang staring at us. My brother, Joey, got shot in the arm. Yelled at all of us for not getting him out of there quick enough. I think Iggy got shot in the ass too." Ian laughed louder that time. He could almost picture Mickey smiling. "I yelled at them all for getting shot and not getting the money too."

"I bet." Ian said. "Have you ever been shot?"

Mickey nodded. "Yep. Normal day in the life of a drug dealer." He began telling another story, but Ian felt sleep taking him over.

Before he fell asleep, he felt something against the top of his head. "Night, Ian." He heard Mickey whisper into his hair before the sleep took over him.


	6. AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hey guys! So, quick A/N. I'm discontinuing this fic because I'm kinda re-writing it. I didn't like how this one was written and wanted to change a bunch of things. The new fic is titled the same, "We Run on Gasoline", and features a lot of changes! I'll be posting it within the next few minutes.


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